


miss americana & the heartbreak prince

by percabeths



Category: The Society (TV 2019)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Hallie - Freeform, Mutual Pining, Song: Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince (Taylor Swift), Songfic, i'm such a sucker for lover, this song is so hallie
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2020-09-24
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:20:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25660501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/percabeths/pseuds/percabeths
Summary: “Wow, Pressman, an F? I didn't think you were that rebellious.” Allie shivered at the voice, taking a deep breath before looking up to find Harry Bingham looking at her with a mischievous smile."What can I say? Not everyone can be perfect like Cassandra.”---Allie is sure that this would not end well.She had made a deal with Harry Bingham.
Relationships: Harry Bingham & Allie Pressman, Harry Bingham/Allie Pressman
Comments: 2
Kudos: 51





	1. american glory faded before me

**Author's Note:**

> so.. the wait for season 2 is going to be a long run and in this pre-apocalyptic time of quarantine i wrote this.
> 
> this song is on my mind since the first time i listened to lover and it is so hallie that i might explode. everything just fits so well that i had to write this. hope it does justice to the song and the vision that i had
> 
> i don't know how long this fic is going to be since i hate writing long fics and prefer one-shots, but i think twelve chapters (???). i left it indeterminate just in case i freak out and want to change everything.
> 
> anyway, sorry for the english cause it is not my first language but i'm trying my best.

The booming end of class signal woke Allie out of her thoughts. She looked around and wondered how much time had passed since she was lost in her own mind, paying no attention to even a minute of that class.

She quickly got up and began to collect her belongings, storing them in her purse, to leave as quickly as possible. It's the last class of the day and all she wants is to get out of there. Head down, she hurries out of the room, but not before hearing a voice calling her.

“Allie! Can I talk to you for a minute? It won't be long.” _Fuck_. As if it wasn’t enough for a teacher to be calling her to stay after class, it was the chemistry teacher, the subject she hates the most. Allie sees in herself a mature and responsible person, so she doesn't need to her any lecture or speech about her attitude and behavior like those kids on kindergarten. She hopes that nobody sees this scene because it looks like she's about to be called out.

She approaches the table slowly, afraid of what she will hear next. 

“Allie, my dear, I redid your exam for the second time, as requested, but unfortunately I cannot do much for you. Your grade is still the same.” _Fuck. Fuck. Fuck_. Allie sucks at chemistry and she knows it, but it seems that no matter when she studies the subject she can't get it in her head.

“I understand, Mr. Miller. Is there any chance of extra work this semester to help with the grade?” She knew it was ridiculous to ask for a favor like that, but she had an F and she couldn't risk staining her school curriculum with a grade like that.

"Unfortunately not. If I applied extra work for you, I would have to apply also to other people who did not do so well. I already did more than I should when correcting your test twice. Can't you ask Cassandra for help to study? ”

Allie hated having to ask for help, but at least asking Cassandra for help didn't hurt that much. The point is that Cassandra had left town to study at Yale last year and rarely paid a visit at home

“I'm afraid I can't. Cassandra does an internship and has been busy with extracurricular activities in her spare time at university. She doesn't come home very often. ”

“A pity to hear that. Cassandra was a great student in my subject and she would have been a great help to you. Look, Allie, I recommend that you ask for help from friends to study, or if you prefer, I can recommend some good students in my subject to help you. Here in this paper are the names of people I think would be willing to help you. We have some small tests for the rest of the semester, but the final test is still almost three months away. You have plenty of time to study. ”

Allie nodded, thanked him and left the room. As soon as she was outside, she looked at the paper in her hands with the teacher's recommendations, finding some familiar names, but honestly she had no intention of asking for help. She crumpled the paper and tossed it in the trash next to the door, looking around later to make sure no one saw it.

She walked to the bathroom, dropping her bag and the books in her hand on the floor. Allie took a deep breath once, twice, three times and lowered her head to wet her face in the sink. The whole scene was somewhat dramatic, but she was never used to getting low marks. The senior year was being completely stressful. As if there were no longer any school obligations to take her seriously, she still had to deal with the expectations of her family, and more or less of the entire city, to be as successful as her sister. Cassandra Pressman had left West Ham almost a year ago, but it looked like her shadow was always there.

Allie picked up her belongings from the floor and went back into the hall, walking hurriedly, eager to get home soon. She hadn't yet thought of a plan to solve the grade problem, but she was going to think of something.

She could ask Becca, Sam, Grizz or Will for help, but they were struggling to handle the matter as much as she was. If they were to try to teach each other, it would be a nightmare.

Allie put on the headphones, pressed random and went on her usual walk home. When she arrived, the residence was quiet as usual, so she left the books in her room and went to the kitchen to make tea. From the kitchen window, she managed to spot her father in the backyard. He was working on something in the yard, tidying the garden. Since he had quit his job, he was cultivating all possible hobbies and gardening had become one of them.

Allie sat on the couch to watch The Office for the 5th time while waiting for her mother to come home to help her prepare dinner. Later, when everyone was home, the Pressmans sat at the table for dinner. After setting the table, Allie sat down on a random chair and started setting up her plate.

"What are you doing?" Her mother's voice interrupted the moment of silence.

"I’m ... eating?" She replied as if it were obvious.

“I know, Allie. But I am referring to where you are sitting.”

Allie looked at her seat and saw nothing wrong, until she realized.

_She had sat in Cassandra's chair._

"Oh, yes. Sorry, I was distracted and didn't notice. I will move.”

“No, it's okay, sweet. You can sit wherever you want. It's not like she's dead or something like that ” Her dad's response saved her from the situation, although her mother looked at Jim with a certain way while hearing the last part of his sentence.

“No, Dad. Okay, this was Cassandra's place. I will go back to my chair.”

“Allie, dear. I didn't mean that you couldn't sit there. It's just ... there was always your sister's place.” Her mother's gaze looked wistful for a few seconds, but no one else said anything afterwards. The family continued to dine, all in their usual places. Her parents asked how the day went at school and Allie replied that it was normal as usual, omitting the part about the test. She didn't want to worry her parents about something so simple.

After helping her father do the dishes, Allie went back to her upstairs room and went to study chemistry. The material was terrible and it seemed that she couldn't understand anything, no matter how much effort was made. After an hour of reading the content and yet another battle against the issues, she gave up and went to take a shower to sleep.

As the hot water fell on her body, Allie tried to clear her mind and relax. In any case, it was only three months to the end of the school year and she would be free from high school.

She put on pajamas, lay on the bed and spent time fiddling with her cell phone. When she saw Cassandra's number on the screen, Allie was very tempted to call and ask for help, but she decided it wasn't worth Cassandra's time. Her sister was busy and was living her own life, so Allie would have to study on her own and solve her problems on her own, just like Cassandra did.

*

The next day, Allie went to school determined to try harder. Fortunately, she wouldn't have a chemistry class that day and wouldn't have to tell Mr. Miller that she had no interest in calling any of the students he had recommended. At lunch, she sat at her usual table, next to Will, Becca, Sam and Grizz. 

She always found it strange how Grizz, a football player, became her friend and started to sit at the table with her friends, instead of staying with his teammates. But Grizz was different from the other football players who only had two brain cells, like Jason or Clark.

Allie spent lunch absentmindedly laughing at memes with Becca and feeling Will staring at her across the table. She was aware that Will had some feelings about her, different feelings of friendship. But Allie was not sure what she felt. Will was nice and kind and she liked him, but she couldn't like him the way he liked her. In the past few weeks, Will has become more suggestive, inviting her to go out just the two of them together and Allie saw no problem; they were friends, after all. But it looked like Will was getting more impatient and she didn't have the heart to hurt him. Another problem that she had to worry about.

When classes were finally over, Allie went to the library willing to borrow some chemistry books to study. The place was half empty, except for a few small study groups of senior students. She went to the specific session and looked for some books that seemed useful, deciding that she would take them home.

As she descended the few steps on the small front staircase of the school, Allie tripped over something on the ground and let the books and papers in her hands fall to the concrete floor. Fortunately, she didn't fall and the front of the school was emptying, which meant that few people watched her tripping all over herself. She bent down to pick up the papers from the floor, when unknown hands helped her collect her things. Allie was grateful for the help, although she was still ashamed to look up and face the person who helped. She was ready to get up and say thanks when the person said something.

“Wow, Pressman, an F? I didn't think you were that rebellious. ” Allie shivered at the voice, taking a deep breath before looking up to find Harry Bingham looking at her with a mischievous smile.

"What can I say? Not everyone can be perfect like Cassandra. ” Allie pinned him, knowing that her sister and Harry had fostered a stupid rivalry during their entire lives, until when Cassandra, who was a year older, went to college and left Harry to be West Ham's number one.

If Harry understood the irony behind Allie's speech, he didn't show it. He just smiled and held it out the paper. However, when she tried to snatch the test from his hands, he didn't let go.

“Need help with chemistry? I, by chance, heard Mr. Miller say that you were in need of a tutor in chemistry...”

"I didn't know you were hanging around listening to other people's conversations, Bingham."

"What can I say? I know everything that goes down around here and it is not every day that a teacher calls the perfect Allie Pressman, Miss Americana, for a sermon after class.” He was really trying to provoke her today.

“First, it was not a sermon. I suck at chemistry and need to get my grade back. What do you want anyway, Bingham? ”

"I know an excellent tutor who might be interested in teaching you."

"And who would that be?"

"You are looking at him right now." She rolled her eyes dramatically. Of course, Harry's arrogant stance had never changed.

"Pass. I don't think I'm interested.” She was turned on her back, ready to leave, but he grabbed her wrist and prevented her from leaving.

"I'm great at chemistry and I would be very happy to help..." Allie narrowed her eyes knowing that he was not done talking yet. Frankly, Harry didn't seem like the type of person who went around offering everyone help with studying, especially for people like Allie, with whom he had no intimacy. "... if you help me too."

Well, the end of the sentence was unexpected. Why did Harry need her help to do anything? She couldn't think of any reason why he was proposing an exchange of favors, especially one where she would help him.

"And what can I offer in return?" She asked genuinely curious. Harry also didn't seem like the type of person who asked for help from others very often. He was extremely proud and seemed to be perfect in everything he did.

“Well, I don't know if you're aware, but our football team isn't exactly doing very well this season. Not my fault, of course. Our former coach quitted and we are looking for someone to fill the position, at least for a while. But I happened to find out that your father was a great player in his college days. He almost went pro, if it weren't for a minor knee accident. And I was wondering if you could do the little favor of asking him for a little help for our team? I heard that your father is not working and is spending a lot of free time at home.”

Allie had no idea how he found out, but it was true. Probably through his mother, who was mayor of the city. Her father worked for many years as a lawyer at a Boston company, but two months ago he had suddenly resigned, leaving even his family astonished. He just said that he was fed up with that job and that he needed to take a vacation and spend more time at home. Since then, Allie's father spent his free time reading in his home office and collecting various other hobbies.

"How do you know that?"

"I did my homework. You know, it's our last year here and football can help me a lot with university applications. Not just mine, but like the whole team. ”

Harry seemed true to every word that came out of his mouth, which surprised her very much. She always thought that football was not very important in his life. He was an excellent student and effortlessly popular. Everyone knew he would go to law school and probably follow in his late father's footsteps. He didn’t need to succeed in sports if didn’t want to.

Allie was very tempted to refuse and leave, but he was offering help in exchange for a small favor. After all, it wouldn't be such a sacrifice just to ask her father to help the team. As far as she knows, her father was enjoying his free time, so he could refuse the request. Who in their right mind would take an indefinite vacation to coach a teenage football team?

Besides, his help was, in a way, free; With Harry teaching her, she wouldn’t need to ask her parents to pay a tutor. If she wanted to go to a good university like Cassandra, she would have to maintain an impeccable school record. Allie had already stepped down from the prom organizing committee to focus on her studies in the last semester.

“Deal, Bingham. However I cannot guarantee that he will accept. But accepting it or not, you will help me to study in one way or another. Right?"

“All right for me, Pressman. See you soon."

Allie watched him walk to the black Maserati parked in the parking lot and drive away from the school. She blinked several times to see if she was hallucinating. Harry Bingham had asked for a favor. And she had accepted. Cassandra's image flashed through Allie's eyes and she thought for a second that it might have been a bad idea. She ignored the thought. After all, Cassandra was too far away to give an opinion on anything.

Allie had nothing personal against Harry. She always knew that his rivalry with her sister was silly and irrational, perhaps more of a hobby for both of them, but Harry had always been impartial towards Allie, always treating her with respect, and maybe a little sarcasm at times.

On the way home, she pondered the proposal a thousand times in her head, thinking of all the ways it could go wrong and what people would think if they knew. Well, Harry never said it needed to be public, so he could help her in secret and no one would need to know that she asked her father to help him.

Upon arriving home, Allie noticed that only her father's car was in the garage. Obvious, since her mother was still working. The house was quiet when she entered and went up the stairs to enter her room. The office door was closed and she assumed that her father was reading. Allie lay on the bed thinking of countless ways she was going to ask her father. She had a good relationship with him, but it was one thing to have good communication with her dad; asking for help from a boy she was barely intimate with was a completely different thing.

After a few minutes, Allie took courage and headed for the office downstairs, tapping lightly for permission to enter. He said yes, and when she opened the door, she found her father building a LEGO tower on top of his desk. Allie found the situation hilarious. Her father was _really_ unoccupied.

"Hey, how was it at school today?" He asked her as he always did.

“Well, the same as always, I think. But I had a problem with my chemistry grade. ” 

She thought it would be better for him to know it all and told the whole situation; Allie knew that her father would be understandable about the situation, while her mom would not be the same way. Her mother always expected Allie to be a replica of Cassandra.

“Well, I'm sure that you will do better in the next tests. You are very smart and will fix it.” He gave her a kind smile and Allie thanked him.

“So, I have a plan. I mean, more or less, but I need your help. ”

“Allie, dear, I am a law graduate and not a chemist. I am the last person you should ask for help. ” She laughed softly through her nose before correcting him.

“I don't want your help to study; Someone else will help me with this. But I need you to think about helping this other person ...” She fumbled at the words

"Allie, explain it to me better."

She explained the whole situation to her father, omitting the part that Harry Bingham would be the one to give her private lessons and, after a few seconds of pondering it, he answered it too fast to be true.

"Only that? I help the boys without a problem.”

Allie froze at her place. She didn't expect him to accept, let alone so easily. He was enjoying his leisure by doing various banal things while enjoying his free time, before thinking about returning to work.

"Just like that? Are you really going to coach the college football team?”

"Of course. Well, I don't have the same physical shape as before, but I think it will be good to take advantage of this free time and do something useful about it. As long as you commit to focusing 100% on your studies, without distractions. Tell the boys that I agree to coach the team.”

Allie nodded, thanked him and swallowed the decision. She left the office and went back to her room, throwing her back on the bed. Looking at the ceiling, the situation was spinning in her head. Her cell phone vibrated on the nightstand, indicating a new message; She doesn't know how, but of course Harry managed to get her number.

**So... what did he say?**

**You won, Bingham. He said yes.**

**The team's next training session is tomorrow at three PM. Our private lesson starts soon after. I hope to see you there, Pressman.**

Allie is sure that this would not end well.

_She had made a deal with Harry Bingham._


	2. i'm lost in the lights

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> second chapter here! sorry for the wait. hope you enjoy it S2
> 
> feeling positive this week, cause some news said the society season 2 filming is probably re-starting in september! hope we're finally getting season 2 soon.

Allie always knew all of Cassandra's secrets.

The age difference between the two sisters was minimum and they were basically stuck together, so keeping secrets was not the easiest thing to do. But Cassandra never tried to hide anything; She was an open book. Allie was already used to the scene of her sister sneaking into her room to tell something that had happened. She was already used to being her sister's confidant. Cassandra always knew that she could count on her sister for everything.

But the situation was not the same on the other side.

Allie never knew why, but she always kept some of her secrets away from her sister. It wasn't easy to hide something from Cassandra, but Allie did. There were just a few things that she thought wouldn't be worth saying to her sister. Cassandra was very busy; She had her own dilemmas, problems and troubles, so Allie got used to keeping certain things to herself.

And this time was not different.

From the second Allie made that deal with Harry, she knew she wouldn't tell her sister about it. Cassandra was far away, it wasn't her problem after all - Allie thought. And secretly, Allie was happy to keep that secret. She was used to a life sharing everything with Cassandra, seeming relieved to finally live something of her own, even if it meant having to live it with Harry Bingham.

Cassandra Pressman has always been a great presence. Allie hates to admit it, but although she loves her sister, she always seemed to steal all the air in the room. All eyes were always on her, who dominated all attention. Cassandra has always loved the spotlight. While her sister spent time being the center of the universe, Allie got used to living behind the scenes. It is depressing for her to admit that she resigned herself to the idea of living like her older sister's shadow, but it was the only way Allie knew her life.

She had also adapted to live with the reputation she had been condemned for, but she couldn't complain. If she protested, everyone would say that it would be a privilege to be born in the same family as the brilliant Cassandra Pressman.

However, Cassandra left West Ham last summer to go to Yale, leaving her younger sister alone and with a bag of expectations on her back. With the departure of the older sister, the attention had suddenly turned to Allie and what her next steps would be. No less was expected of her, of course; But it was also not expected that she would ever outdo her sister. Allie wondered if it was possible, in some distant parallel universe, for her to overcome Cassandra. As much as she tried to imagine it, she knew it wasn't.

Allie feels that, at almost eighteen, she is finally learning to take her first steps on her own. As if all previous years, she had a crutch that supported her, an anchor that held her down, that reminded her of how to act, speak and behave. She loves her sister, but Allie is grateful for the opportunity to be her own person now.

However, it is difficult to get people to see her the way she wants it now. It just seems like everyone can't disassociate Allie from her sister. No one remembers Cassandra as Allie's sister, but everyone remembers Allie as Cassandra's sister.

She doesn't blame them. Sometimes, it is also difficult for herself to remember that she is someone without her sister. After all, they always did everything together; As children, they wore similar clothes, did the same extracurricular activities, played with the same friends. As they grew up, it became clear who was at the front run. Cassandra seemed to run at thousands of miles an hour and, secretly, Allie thanked for staying behind. She could never reach her sister even if she tried.

Although they were glued together and looked apparently identical, Allie knows that she and Cassandra have always been very different. They had different tastes, hobbies and opinions, but that did not seem to be apparent to the rest of the world.

Allie wonders if anyone ever saw her differently from her sister. As if they were totally distant, different people. After thinking hard about this possibility, she gave up. 

*

Allie always knew what she wanted to do with her life. Cassandra too, but at that point their dreams were distinguished. Cassandra has always wanted to be a doctor since the day she discovered her heart problem. She wanted to dedicate her life to save the lives of people who were sick like her - an altruistic gesture, typical of Cassandra. Allie always knew she wanted to be a psychologist. It is also a health area like her sister's, but Allie thinks there is beauty in being able to treat what is not always outside. However, in the eyes of some, her choice does not seem as interesting and beautiful as Cassandra's.

Allie's entire life, as well as her sister's, was meticulously designed for success. The curricular activities, the debate club, the French classes, the painting workshops, the piano lessons, everything that could guarantee success and opportunities was necessary. She wanted to be able to go to a university as good as Cassandra's, graduate and exceed at what she does. All efforts, including an impeccable school curriculum, were essential to achieving her goal, and it would not be for a stupid Chemistry grade that would prevent her from doing it.

*

The next day, Allie woke up trying to ignore the strange feeling she was sensing. The deal could have been a wrong decision, but she wouldn’t step back.

Allie continued the day trying to refuse the feeling of unease that consumed her inside. During lunch, she spotted Harry across the room sitting at his usual table, laughing with his teammates. She wondered if she could tell her friends about the secret; Becca would disturb her with thousands of questions and teasing, Sam would laugh or at least be skeptical about it, Grizz would be very confused and Will would probably disapprove. It was no secret that Will didn't like Harry, for reasons that were totally shallow and teasing.

Allie gave up on telling her friends.

At the end of the day, she ran away from her friends and headed for the football field next to the school. Halfway there, she met Jim, her father.

“Coming to honor me? I'm flattered."

"Of course, I wouldn't miss it for anything." It was half true, half lying. After all, she would be waiting for Harry, but she was also curious as to how her father would do.

“I hope I’m not out of shape” He offered her an amused smile and the two walked to the field.

Once there, Allie went up to the bleachers and took a seat on the top steps. Far enough to be able to study and close enough to take a look at training.

While she was opening her history book, the team arrived at the field and her father started talking to them. She managed to find some familiar faces, such as Grizz, Jason, Clark, Luke, Campbell, Harry, of course, and a few others that she did not know the name but knew from the school hallways.

While Jim talked to the team and gave training instructions, Allie kept her distance and concentrated on the small print in the book. After a while, she looked up to observe the training; Some members ran around the perimeter, others carried weights in the middle of the field, while her father talked and advised others. Her eyes automatically found Harry pushing weights in the center of the field. He worked effortlessly and made it look easy. Allie resisted the urge to roll her eyes - of course, Harry Bingham was perfect in everything he set out to do.

The initial training passed quickly, while she studied silently in the stands, hoping to go unnoticed. After the team withdrew and ran to the locker room, Allie went down and walked over to her father.

"Not bad, Jim." She said with a smile.

"What can I say? I think I haven’t lost my talents.”

The two laughed as he put his belongings in his bag.

"So, ready to go home?"

"Not really. I'm going to study in the library with some friends, you know? But I’ll see you at home.”

“Oh, of course. Don't be late for dinner.”

As she turned to walk to the library, Harry appeared in front of her with clothes changed and his hair slightly wet.

"Ready to study with the best tutor in the world?"

_ Shit _ . Allie was aware of her father right behind her, watching everything.

"Uh... Allie? What's happening?" Ethan asked legitimately confused.

"Well, Harry is going to help me study for chemistry. That grade problem I mentioned, remember? Do not worry." She explained awkwardly.

"Okay... I think. See you at home. ”

Allie watched her father walk to the car before facing Harry and his pretentious smile.

"I think he likes me."

“Convince yourself, Bingham. He's probably in shock.”

The two walked side by side to the library and Allie thanked her for it being less crowded, choosing a table in the back, hidden by a large bookcase.

"Not wanting to be seen with me, Pressman?" He teased.

"You don't have a reputation for being the best company."

"People love to question my nature."

Allie looked around apprehensively as they organized the books and notebooks on the table.

“No kidding, OK? I really need to learn chemistry. ” She asked in a low voice.

"No problem."

It turns out that, surprisingly, Harry proved to be a good tutor. He was really knowledgeable about the subject, explaining it simply and helpfully. After an explanation, Allie looked at him in surprise.

"Amazed by my talents, Pressman?"

“Don't be cocky, Bingham. But you’re good at this, it’s the most I’ll say for now.”

“And when you get an A + in Chemistry you will be able to tell everyone that you had the help of an incredible tutor. Now, let's do some exercises.”

She realized that as she struggled to resolve the activity issues, Harry was looking at her with a funny look.

"Admiring my beauty?" This time, she was the one who teased.

"Perhaps. I hope you don't have a problem with that. ”

Allie rolled her eyes and continued to answer questions. After a few minutes, she handed him the sheet with the answers, waiting for him to correct them. Harry watched the sheet closely, his brows furrowing while he was scanning the answers.

“Well, you know the theoretical part, some conceptual details were wrong, but nothing too absurd. I am assuming that your difficulty is in practice, with the calculations. For today, I think we have made good progress. ”

She blinked a few times, in disbelief at the scene in front of her and the words she had just heard.

“Uh… Thank you. Hope you're right.”

She thanked him, while clumsily stuffing her belongings into her bag. The two got up and left the library in silence, but Allie noticed looks from some of the people in the room. She hoped it wouldn't spread, as everyone knew about Harry's reputation. It was difficult to keep secrets in West Ham. Leaving the building, she started walking towards the exit of the parking lot to go home, until she heard a voice stopping her.

"Do you want a ride?" Harry asked her with a nervous smile on his face and the Maserati’s keys in his hand. Allie didn't think twice before answering.

"No, but thanks."

“Really, Pressman? We are in the same boat, why not in the same car?”

"I'm looking forward for a walk today, but thanks for the invitation, really. One day I may accept, who knows?"

She hurried away from the school as quickly as possible, without making it look like she was running away. Allie put on her headphones to walk, barely paying attention to the music, her head racing, surrounded by thoughts.

Harry Bingham had helped her. He was friendly, despite the arrogance, and very smart. She thought that she had misjudged him all these years, that she hadn't given a chance to maybe meet the cool person under his infamous reputation.

Allie quickly got those thoughts out of her head. Harry Bingham was synonymous for trouble; She couldn't think of getting close with him in a million years. She had a sense of self-preservation enough to know that.

*

The Pressmans' dinner was silent, with the exception of Amanda, Allie's mother, asking her husband about training. Jim was succinct when reporting on his day, saying he was positive that he could help the team.

"What did you think of your father, Allie?" Her mother asked curiously.

"He was great, I'm sure he will help the team a lot." She was quick to reply

Her father shot her an unreadable look across the table and Allie silently thanked him for not addressing the Harry Bingham topic. That maybe would be a conversation for later.

After washing the dishes, she went upstairs to the bedroom and was lying on bed looking at her cell phone until she heard a few knocks on the door. Her father's face soon appeared through a small crack in the door, asking for permission to enter. Allie sat down as he entered the room, settling in the desk chair. She knew what was coming.

“You must have realized that I didn't told your mother about everything I saw today. Harry Bingham, Allie?"

She took a deep breath, looking for the best words to address the problem.

“I know what it looks like, but we made a fair deal. I had to ask you to help him with football, while he would teach me Chemistry. I really need to improve my grade, Dad.”

"I understand. I just don't want you to get in trouble, darling. ”

"Dad, it's a chemistry tutor, not a boyfriend." She explained with her cheeks flushing.

“Okay, it's just… Harry Bingham  _ means _ trouble. I'm not telling you what to do or who to hang out with, you have enough sense to make your own choices and I trust you, OK?… And, well, he doesn't have the best track record with this family, considering your sister, remember ? ”

"I know, I know. But I promise to be careful. ” Allie laughed to ease the tension in the room.

“Anyway,I think I’m done. Good night, I love you."

"I love you too, bye."

After Jim left the room, Allie's back found the bed again. She took a deep breath as she stared at the bright stars glued to the bedroom ceiling; Allie put them there when she was a child, but she never had the courage to take them out.

Her cell phone vibrated at the notification of a new message.

**It was a good study day.**

**Have a good night, Pressman.**

**Good night, Bingham.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my twitter is @perzcyjackson and tumblr @shitpercy


	3. lost in a film scene

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey... so, i don't really know what to say. you probably saw the news already and the society has been cancelled.  
> i'm so so so sad and angry that we didn't get the a sequel and a resolution, but i haven't lost my hopes that some other platform could get the show, so let's make a lot of noise on social media. who knows what can happen?  
> i'm only uploading this today cause it was already written and i'm incredibly bored and bummed, but i'm not disappearing. i have a lot of fics planned to be posted here so you can expect a lot of hallie content. i don't want to extend to much but i'm really really sad that the show ended up like that and i wish we could make ourselves heard, so i'll be giving a few suggestions of things we could do to try get the show back after the chapter in the last notes.  
> hope you like this chapter :/

Harry Bingham has always had the world in his hands.

As long as he can remember his own name, he knows that there wasn’t one thing that wasn’t out of his league. And he wouldn’t dare complain about the privileges that come with being a rich, spoiled, popular white boy in Massachusetts.

As a child, Harry realized that his position was different from most of some other schoolmates. Growing up as the son of wealthy politicians was interesting and fun, but he soon realized the loneliness that came with this "gift." He had a good relationship with his parents and was grateful to be born into that family, but they were always working; Both parents worked in law and politics, which meant there was never a single moment for the family. As a child, Harry wished he could make the world stop for a few seconds, just to be able to guarantee more time with his parents.

When he was ten, his parents announced that he would get a younger sister, which excited him, thinking it would mean more time with the family. And indeed it did. For a few months, at least. After Katherine turned six months old, Karen Bingham returned to work more determined than ever, leaving Harry and a younger baby at the mercy of employees and nannies.

But Harry got used to the lonely life. His parents tried to buy his fun with expensive toys and trips to Disney and he couldn't complain about any of that when he was a child. However, as he grew up, it became more apparent that he was a background in his parents' lives. He loved his parents and knew they loved him, too, but it was hard to feel noticed when the house was empty.

Harry remembers that when he was a child, he pretended to be sick, feeling bad, to get his parents' attention; But all the parents did was call a doctor and get back to work.

As he grew up, Harry determined not to let his sister go through the same thing. His parents now worked at the city hall and he could count the hours he saw them at home on his fingers. He watched all the Barbies and princesses movies that Katherine wanted, played with her doll, learned to fix her sister's hair. He knew he couldn't make up for his parents' lack, but he would do his best to make each of Kat's memories happy.

As a teenager, Harry discovered the concept of “popular” and understood that, apparently, he fit that definition. . Now the girls paid attention to him, the boys on the football team asked him out with them, and for a few minutes he felt less alone.

The courtship with Kelly Aldrich was brief, but important for him to know more about himself. Kelly and he ended on good terms, she said she felt alone in the relationship and he couldn't deny it, but he still remembers her words saying "you can't buy everything with the money." He understood what she was talking about, but without his reputation, what was left of him?

Harry was well aware of his reputation and could not say otherwise. He was well aware of the looks of girls cast at him as he walked the halls, of rumors on Monday about what happened at his party on Saturday, of speculation about his mother's actions in the city hall; But he was not going to answer any of those questions. He had learned to live his life without giving any satisfaction.

However, he himself knew his own expectations. All Harry wanted was to stand out in everything, to be noticed, to make his parents proud. He doesn't care what they say about his relationships, appearance, money. He hates to admit that the only people he wants to impress are his parents. Harry does not hate his own family, he himself recognizes that if there was not all the hard work and determination of Karen and Henry they would not have the favorable social status that they had. But Harry felt that money was the only thing he could trust.

*

The day after the first study session, Allie arrived quietly at school. She prayed that no one had seen and commented on her and Harry in the library the previous afternoon. She walked to her closet, looking for books for the first class of the day, Literature; This class, coincidentally, she shared with Harry.

A sudden noise startled her from personal silence. Will appeared beside her, with a smile on his face.

"Hey, I didn't see you after class ended yesterday."

“Well, I stayed after hours to go to the library to study chemistry. I'm getting desperate. ” She explained, hoping he would forget about it.

"You want help? I am not a genius in the matter, but I think I could help you. ”

“Uh, no, thanks. I'm getting better organized and maybe I'll call to help me study. ”

“Ah, that's fine. If I need help, I'm around. ”

“I know, Will. Good to know." She offered him a discreet smile as they walked to her next class room.

"See you at lunch." He turned and left her at the door. Allie came in, said good morning to the teacher and sat in one of the middle chairs near the window. She might look like Cassandra, but not to the point of sitting in the front row.

A few seconds passed before Harry Bingham entered the room, the same posture and walking as usual. He sat in one of the middle chairs, in the same row as hers, but on the opposite side of the room.

The teacher quickly started the class and when she made notes in her notebook, Allie felt watched. She looked around and looked at Harry across the room, staring at her. She shot him a skeptical look and turned her attention back to the blackboard, but she still felt the gaze on her.

The class period was the same as always. She shared History with Becca and Sam and Frances with Grizz. After class, she said goodbye to her friends at the entrance to the school and took the familiar path to the football field. She sat in the same place the day before and took The Song of Achilles out of her bag; It was Cassandra's favorite book and Allie promised she would read it. A few minutes later, Grizz sat down next to her, already wearing gym clothes.

"What are you doing here again?" He asked

"Watching the training?"

"You? Watching football training? ”

“I'm looking to see how my dad is doing. And maybe to spy on you a little. ”

Grizz laughed and walked down the steps to the field. The rest of the team arrived, along with her father who saw her and waved. As training went on, Allie found herself more and more stuck in the pages of the book, until something flew by her face. She looked around, astonished.

“Hey, Allie. Can you return the ball? Campbell sometimes doesn't know where to aim! ” Harry shouted across the field.

She got up and went to get the ball a few steps above what she was sitting on. With her hands on the ball, she launched it as hard as she could, throwing it at the team. The ball fell quickly into the hands of Clarke, who continued the game normally.

At the end of training, when Allie left the field, her father caught up with her.

“Where did you learn to shoot like that ?.”

"I may have learned a trick or another from you."

"Good shot, Pressman." Harry said behind her.

"Stay tuned, I can steal your place on the team." She said with a sarcastic smile.

Harry laughed, while Jim watched them both with a curious look.

“Come on, Bingham. I will not learn chemistry alone. ”

The two walked to the library and sat at the same table as before. Allie opened the book to the page where they had stopped the day before. She watched him as he wrote notes in her notebook.

"Is there anything you are not good at?" She asked

"Make you like me, apparently."

Allie rolled her eyes at the answer, but still wondering - did she really hate Harry Bingham?

During that study session, Harry made her comment on the entire chapter of the story, in an attempt to explain to him and herself. He laughed every time she missed something, correcting it soon after. In the end, he made her promise that she would read the entire chapter of the story again and summarize it later, and she swore grudgingly.

Leaving the library beside him, Allie noticed that it was raining. But not that kind of light, calm rain, but one with heavy drops and dark clouds all over the city.

“So… That‘ someday ’arrived earlier than I expected. Is that ride offer still up? ” She looked at him with an ironic smile.

"I feel like you're just usurping me, Pressman."

She smiled and the two ran together to the black Maserati parked in the parking lot. The distance was not great, but they were both very wet when they got to the car. Harry started the car and started driving, without even asking for her home address. They didn't talk, trapped in an uncomfortable silence inside the car, with only the sound of raindrops hitting the windshield.

"About what you said earlier, you know ... Look, I don't hate you." She spoke embarrassed.

“It's okay, Pressman. I don't hate you, either. ” He stared at her for a few seconds before turning his eyes to the road.

The two returned to the previous silence, now comfortable, until the moment when Harry stopped the car in front of her house. Allie stared at her house, daring to get out of the car.

"Thanks for the ride."

"It was nothing. See you, Pressman. ”

"See you later, Bingham."

She ran the short distance from the car to the front porch and Harry waited for her to come in the house to leave. Arriving inside the house, Allie took off her shoes and coat, which were already soaked, and walked in socks to the kitchen.

“Allie, you didn't take my calls. It is a terrible rain outside. ” Her mother approached with concern.

"Sorry, I think my phone was on the mute."

"And you came walking in the rain alone?"

“No, I came with a ride. I got some rain, but I'm fine. ”

“Take off those clothes soon, otherwise you will catch a cold. Take a shower and then go down to dinner. ”

Allie obeyed, knowing that her mother was not wrong, and went to bathe. When he finished and went down to dinner, the table was ready and his parents were already seated. The three were silent until Amanda broke the silence.

"So, any news about university admissions?"

"Nothing but radio silence so far." Allie said in a faltering tone.

"And have you ever thought, you know, about your choice?"

"I think I will wait for all the results to make a decision."

“You are a great student. I am sure that soon will be with Cassandra in Yale next semester. ” Allie blinked several times, while her mother smiled sweetly across the table.

"I don't think I'm going to want Yale." The tone of her voice was lower now.

"How come you don't want it for Yale?" Amanda's face carried an incredulous expression, as if she were listening to absurdity.

Jim, who watched the conversation in silence and ate, interrupted the astonishment. ”Relax, dear. I'm sure Allie will make a prudent decision as soon as she receives all admissions. ”

Allie thanked him in silence for his father's interruption, and dinner continued as usual as Jim changed the topic to talk about city affairs. After the meal, Allie went up to her room and went to study; She was already tired of poring over the Geography book when her phone rang. Cassandra's face appeared on the illuminated screen and Allie answered, raising her cell to her ear.

"You disappeared." Cassandra's voice started the call

"You too. I'm busy, you know, the last year of high school. ”

“I know very well. Sorry for the disappearance, I'm busy here too. How are things at home? ”

"The same. I think you have something more interesting to tell than me. Tell me how is college and internship? ”

“It is incredible. Sometimes, I think it's a dream…. ” Allie laid her back on the bed and watched the ceiling while her sister started talking on the phone. That was the usual way of things: Cassandra was always more talkative and Allie the listener, and that never changed. While the sister talked about the news of her life at the university, Allie's mind wandered to distant places, without paying attention to what Cassandra was talking about. Watching the stars on the ceiling, she thought about Yale. No doubt for many it was an easy choice to make, but Allie was sick and tired of living close to Cassandra. It was too exhausting. She lived seventeen years this way and was not willing to continue that way.

“Well, I have to finish some activities and go to bed early. We need to talk more. Good night, Al. ”

"Good night, Cass."

The call ended but she was still holding the cold material from her cell phone to her ear. It is strange to describe how she misses her sister so much, but she is grateful that they are far away now.

Still close to her face, Allie's cell phone vibrated. It was Will.

Hey, plans for the weekend?

Nothing.

Film marathon at your place?

Sure. I'll call the others.

Ok… see ya

Allie knew what she was doing. It was clear that Will wanted to go out with her alone, without the company of others, but she had to do that. She is fully aware that she is condemning Will to the friendzone, but there is nothing she can do. The idea of a romantic interaction with a guy who was one of her best friends was absurdly strange. She loves Will, but not like that.

Cassandra said that he was nice and kind and that she thought he and Allie were cute together, and her mother said the same. Becca and Sam like Will, but Becca always says he doesn't match Allie and Sam agrees. Grizz did not give her opinion on the matter and she is grateful.

She remembers that one day when Will moved to the city four years ago, she had a crush on him. But it was just that, until they became good friends and Allie can't see him any other way. She wonders if he is going to invite her to the dance. This is going to be a nightmare.

It's Friday night and Allie falls asleep without realizing it. On Saturday morning, she and Jim woke up early to run around town, an activity they started to enjoy doing together and she thanks for the pleasant time with her father. In the afternoon, Becca and Sam showed up early, to choose the films before anyone else argued. Will appeared next, with an ice cream jar in his hands, and Grizz arrived last.

Becca placed Zodiac, for the millionth time, in the DVD player and settled in a corner of the big sofa. Sam sat on the floor and Grizz chose his place in an armchair, leaving Allie and Will with the rest of the couch. She sat on the other end and Will settled next to her, between her and Becca. Approximately close to an hour and a half of film, Allie feels a look burning on her face.

"Why are you looking at me?"

"You have a beautiful profile, you know, with your face to the side." Will says in a low voice so the others won't hear. She looks him in the eye for a few milliseconds before turning her attention back to the movie.

When Zodiac ended, Sam chose Into The Woods and everyone continued to watch. By the end of the second film, they were already bored and getting up to leave. Will, Sam and Grizz left the house, so only Allie was left at home with Becca, who would spend the night there.

"Will is very into you." Becca exclaimed as Allie dialed the number for the pizzeria on the phone.

"I think he is."

“I saw you two whispering during the film. Are you going to give him a chance? ”

"No. Better as friends and I don't see him as more than that. ”

“I cannot disagree. But a pair for the dance would be useful. ” Becca mocked.

“It is not a problem. I can always go with you and Sam. ”

"The way things are going, you will have to be content with just me this year."

Allie made an incredulous face and was ready to ask more, but the pizzeria attendant answered and she was interrupted from the conversation to place the order. After ordering a pepperoni pizza, she came back in awe of the conversation.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well, he may be going out with a certain friend of ours, a little quiet, but cool ..." Becca said with a mischievous smile on his face.

"Wait! Grizz? ”

Becca just smiled and the two laughed as they turned on Netflix. The pizza soon arrived and they ate and watched Community. Allie was always grateful for Becca's friendship. She loved Cassandra, but it was so refreshing to have some more friends to talk to. Do not misunderstand it, it is not excluded or anything; In fact, she is even popular in high school (for being a Cassandra fan, of course) and sometimes she goes out with people like Gwen, Bean or Kelly, but nothing more.

The next day, Becca leaves late in the morning, leaving Allie with the day off. “Free” means more time to study. She decided to do the summary that Harry asked her to do and she found herself understanding the content more. The day passed quickly while she studied and listened to Bleachers on Spotify. Night fell and she found herself sliding down the Instagram timeline, watching memes. Becca tagged Allie in some memes and she likes to let her friend know that she saw and did not ignore.

When Allie was getting ready to lie in bed and go to sleep, she heard a knock on the door. Seconds later Amanda came into the room and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Hi. So… I wanted to apologize if I pressed you over Friday dinner. ”

Allie nodded silently, knowing that her mother would say more.

"Well, with your sister gone ..." Of course, every conversation must have the name of Cassandra. "... I don't know, I put pressure and expectations, and you still don't even know the results of the applications."

"Thanks." She didn't know what else to say.

"We are very proud of you, me and your father, and we know that you are as smart as your sister." Cassandra was always the example, the standard, the synonym for excellence. Allie swallowed. "I'm sure you are going to make a great choice."

Amanda hugged her and Allie reciprocates, but still annoyed.

"Good night, darling."

"Good night mom."

Allie went to sleep without realizing how exhausted she really was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank u sm for reading, i really appreciate it.  
> my twitter is @perzcyjackson and my tumblr is @shitpercy  
> let's try to save the show by:   
> \- use the tag #SaveTheSociety and #RenewTheSociety on Twitter to express your feelings towards the show  
> \- follow @BRATheSociety on Twitter. it's a brazilian portal but it's nice to stay tuned (https://twitter.com/BRATheSociety)  
> \- fill the netflix comment with a lot of things, who knows what we could do?  
> \- rewatch the society on netflix on the next few days. let's try to get it into the top 10 shows  
> \- there's a lot of petitions happening online but the most promising ones are here, so please sign   
> ( http://chng.it/7Bm6dLnDQv ) - ( http://chng.it/Xb8LcWRsGr )   
> hope to atualize this fic soon with better news S2


	4. leave with my head hung

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the wait, the chapter was already written but i'm messy and stupid and forgot to post it. i'm so lost with school papers, projects and tests but i wont forget about posting.  
> anyway, the society is cancelled and i'll be forever sad and bitter about it, but let's continue to make noise on social media to be heard. it's sad hallie hours so i'm writing a lot and happy that this fandom isn't giving up.

Harry can be a talker sometimes, but at other times he is so silent and focused in an atypical way and he is very intelligent, in a way that scares Allie. Okay, she didn't think he was stupid, but he is smart. The very smart type. It’s a shame that this is not the first impression everyone can have. Plus, it’s not as if he left that side of him so on the surface for everyone to see.

Another week of sessions has passed and Allie is really impressed on how Harry manages to be a good teacher. She really feels like she's making progress. She's packing the books in her backpack when she can't resist the chance to ask.

"What are you going to do for college?"

He looked at her with an amused expression before saying. "Law."

Allie studied the answer carefully, until he found the silence strange and raised his voice. "What’s with this reaction?"

"Nothing, just thinking about your answer."

"Don't you think I have the face to be a lawyer?" Harry likes to play these silly teasing games that she thinks he only does to make her mad.

"No. Actually the opposite, you definitely have the face. It's just that the answer surprised me, but it makes sense. ”

Harry's expression became soft, as if he appreciated her observation. "Don’t know if that is a compliment or a subtle insult. And what about you? What is the perfect Allie Pressman going to be when she grows up? ”

Allie rolled her eyes as they walked to the exit. "Doctor. Psychologist, more specifically.”

He nodded and it was his turn to carefully analyze her response. "It's nice to see that you think differently from Cassandra."

She frowned, as if she didn't understand what he was talking about. And she really didn't understand it. "What? Do you think I'm a genetically cloned copy of my sister or something?”

"No. It's just that… Cassandra is quite a presence. It shouldn't be easy, you know, dodging such an influence. ”

Now she understands and she enjoys the observation much more. Surprisingly, Harry _gets it_. How difficult it must be for her to live under Cassandra's prestige.

"Yeah, it’s quite a lot.” So she laughs to ease the tension built on her shoulders. “Do you want to give me a ride home again? ”

"Taking advantage of my gifts as a tutor, taking advantage of the rides... You’re abusing my goodwill, Pressman."

Allie walks into the parking lot, listening to the sound of car keys mixed with her own laughter.

*

The next day, Becca grabs her by the arm in the crowded school hall.

"So, how are things between you and Will?" Allie knew the question would come soon or later. She had banned Becca from talking about it for a while, but she knew that she couldn't dodge it forever.

"Nothing."

"Of course, it’s not nothing."

“For me, it's nothing. It's another story for him.” And she was not lying. Allie really wished she could return Will's feelings and live the teenage film cliché where the girl falls in love with her best friend. But it's not like she can magically feel the same thing. She looks at Will in a very different way. He deserves someone who really likes him the same way and can return the expectations of a relationship and Allie doesn't know if she is ready for it; At least not with Will.

She always had a little fear of long-term commitment. Allie has a very clear vision of her future and she doesn't know how to react to changes in the best way, so she doesn't know how to picture a relationship in the future to come. It may be easier than it looks, but she doesn't know how to figure it out; 

"Poor Will."

"Which side are you on?"

“Yours, of course. But you could at least be honest with him. ” Becca rolled her eyes as she explained the obvious.

“How do you think he will react? Do you think we're going to be okay? ” Allie was genuinely concerned about her relationship with Will if she broke his expectations. He was a good friend, the kind she would very much like to keep.

“It's Will. He will get over it. ”

Allie really does pray for Becca to be right.

*

Allie was always used to seeing her father as a serious professional. He was never a serious person, just at work, so it's certainly funny to see him being a football coach.

Today, she and Harry don't have a study session, but she got into the habit of watching training and just can't seem to stop. It's a little bit therapeutic, watching the hustle and bustle of the field while she holds a book or listening to music on headphones sitting on top of the stands.

Allie doesn't know if her dad is really working, getting paid for it, or if it's just some favor or volunteering for school. Nobody knows that Jim is coaching the team and for now, he's doing well. News travels fast in West Ham and any single event has far-reaching repercussions. The _perks_ of living in a small town

Once the news is out, she doesn't know what can happen. It wouldn't be serious, but people would start asking questions and Allie doesn't have the energy to satisfy so many people.

It's kind of cool to see her dad like that, in a different environment, working with something unusual. There’s this thing that is hard to imagine parents as people or anything other than just parents and Allie enjoys being able to see her father differently. He is playful and makes jokes with the team, but he is serious and strict when necessary. It is like seeing the same person under another light.

At the end of training, Jim and Allie walk side by side to the car. As she fastens the belt around her body while he turns the keys in the ignition, she hears him raise his voice.

"No study today?"

"No. I found out that we need to take a day off. ”

"So ... How are things with Harry Bingham?" Jim's tone is uncertain, just prompting the subject. It does not go unnoticed as he quotes Harry by his full name.

"Good, I think. Why the question?" Allie countered, wanting to know his intentions.

"Nothing. It's just… You might not believe it, but I was your age once. I know what teenage boys think and do.”

 _Oh_. This is the reason. Does Jim think that Harry and she are…?

“I know you were young a long time ago. And no, we’re not doing anything you’re thinking about.”

"Okay, okay. But if you think about it, be careful. ”

Allie is genuinely surprised by his response. "I thought you hated Harry."

“I don't hate the boy. Cassandra does. But I will admit that I have not heard any good stuff about him, especially from your sister. He doesn't exactly have the best reputation. You know, party animal, rich boy with more money for his own good, heartbreaker…” Allie nodded as she listened to her father talk about everything she had heard about Harry Bingham. It was no secret.

"So, you hate him." She concluded.

"I don't hate him. I’m remarking what I hear out there. But he looks cool. Is that how you talk? Cool? Anyway, he is a good player, although sometimes inconsequential; A good student. This is it." Jim finished talking as soon as the car stopped in the garage. He disembarked from the vehicle, leaving Allie sitting in her seat thinking about the absurd conversation they had just had.

Allie's mother, Amanda, had not yet mentioned Harry at home, which means that Jim didn't tell her. Thank goodness, because Allie knows that as soon as her mother finds out, she won't have conversation as good as she had with her father.

*

Over the weekend, more precisely on Saturday afternoon, Allie is walking back from Sam's house, walking through the city center. As she passes in front of the market, she sees a rare scene, but sees it in a different way.

Harry is with his sister, Kate, buying candies at the market. She had seen him often in the company of her sister around town, but this time Allie thinks better about the scene. She never imagined that maybe Harry could be a good older brother. Of course, just buying sweets and unhealthy foods does not make someone a good brother, but maybe he can be good at many things, one of which is a good brother for Kate.

Cassandra is a good sister, and despite being the only fraternal experience that Allie has, she is a good sister. Allie, in fact, is sure that she has a good relationship with Cassandra when reflecting on her own family. Amanda and Brother Doug have a stable and peaceful relationship, but not one of the warmest; Like his children, Sam and Campbell are not two inseparable brothers either. On the contrary, they are more different than similar. It's not like they hate each other or harass each other, it's just that someone unaware of the relationship is unlikely to guess that Campbell and Sam are brothers. Not the way she and Cassandra look.

Allie and her sister have things in common, but they are also very different. The slight difference is that the differences seem to go unnoticed by others. Perhaps other sibling relationships are normal and acceptable. Perhaps the problem isn’t in the others, but she is the one who is different, who was just used to the only experience she had her whole life.

Allie smiles as she looks at the scene in the market, Harry doesn't see her and she thanks for having gone unnoticed.

*

"You never told me how you found out."

"About what?" Harry asked without taking his concentration from the book in his hands. Allie was solving an activity with limited time and he was reading some random classic that he took from a nearby bookshelf while she had to deal with the task alone.

“About me, my grades. You just said you heard about it, but you didn't tell me how, unless you have supersonic hearing or telekinetic skills that I don't know about. ” She was curious. Allie has always been a curious person and she swears that someday this will be the end of her, but for the time being this issue involves her so she can bother to ask.

Harry shifts the focus from the heavy book in his hands to look at it carefully. "Well, I was just leaving the room when I heard Mr. Miller asking you to talk and we can't say that it is common for a Pressman to be scolded by a teacher."

“First, it wasn't a scolding. Second, so do you admit that you were spying on my private conversation? ”

"I wasn't spying, I just casually stopped by the door to the living room while reading my messages and by chance I overheard their conversation."

Allie looks at him with disbelief. She is not angry, because everything led her to this situation, strange as it was, it was convenient. She's just… suspicious. And now more careful than ever. As soon as she can remember, she knows that she always hated having her intimacy shared with others.

When she was a child, she hated how quickly Cassandra ran to their mother to tell them about what Allie had done, it could be good or bad; Or when her parents tell shameful stories about something she did; Cassandra made a point of telling her parents about Allie's crushes, what she had done every second at school, her plans and secrets, just as Cassandra told herself, but Allie never liked all this exposure. She wished she could live her life knowing that her life was in her own interest, but of course that was difficult in West Ham. She forces herself to focus on the activity she has yet to finish.

"You're mad at me, aren't you?" Harry's tone is unreadable, but she guesses he looks embarrassed

"I think I should go back to finish this test."

And so she remained silent for the rest of the study session. She could tell that Harry's posture had changed and his behavior now seemed more guilty, but she said nothing. Allie likes her privacy. She knows that he wouldn't go around spreading gossip and rumors about her, but she still has the same opinion.

And again, she is not angry, but it is not as if he could just meddle in someone else's life without permission; In this case, it led to something, but she wouldn't want to know about someone random out there who knows about her intimate life. It was just a note and perhaps a delicate ultimatum from a teacher, but Allie values the little things that are just her business.

She finishes responding to the activity and hands the piece of paper to Harry, who just examines it quickly and hands it back.

“I'm still not going to evaluate and give you a grade. You better study without the pressure of a number. ”

She nodded in agreement with his response, enjoying the method he was using. Allie kept the books in her bag as she got up and he was still watching her cautiously, so the two walked in silence to the exit. She was walking down the steps to the building's entrance when he called her.

"Allie." She notes that at that moment he calls her by her first name and no longer by Pressman. "I'm sorry."

She studies his expression for a few seconds before moving her head in a sign that she herself doesn't know how to decipher the meaning and looks away from his face to continue the walk in silence. Harry stands on the steps watching her walk away with her hands in her pockets. Allie walks with an empty mind staring at the small cracks in the concrete of the sidewalk without looking back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading. twitter @perzcyjackson and tumblr @shitpercy  
> don't forget to sign the petition: http://chng.it/29FBGSSpfv  
> much love.


	5. american stories burning before me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here for another chapter, i'm sorry for the wait.  
> still no news about the society, but i'm trying to stay positive and join hashtags in social media, who knows what might happen?

Allie would like to be more stubborn and that's a fuckep up thing to say, but at least she's telling the truth.  
People always say that older brothers tend to learn to share attention when they get a younger brother, but Allie's experience was different. Her mother would not let her and Cassandra get into a fight even for a short while and after Cassandra's heart condition got even more complicated, fighting with her sister was something particularly difficult for Allie. She always felt bad about staying mad at her sister, even when Cassandra was wrong, so she got used to just swallow the crying and the complaints and forgive her.  
She also learned to feel bad about things that are not always her fault, so even when she knows she is right, Allie prefers to appease the situation and remain silent with her anger. So, when she and Harry have a strange disagreement, she doesn't feel furious, after all she learned to sweep these things under the rug from an early age. And Allie has analyzed her feelings again and again and there's no anger. Just annoyance. Annoyance because many people have already told her about Harry, speculations about his nature, and she believed in some, but since they started interacting more she thought that maybe all those conversations were wrong.  
Allie feels stupid for creating too many expectations of people and believing in false hopes that she has fostered, and she does it more frequently than she would like. Still, she would like to be able to trust Harry more, to believe that any rumor she had heard was wrong and he would surprise her by being different. And this is not one of those idealized novels, but just Allie wishing to see only the best in people.  
Allie is not stubborn, but she knows that she is obstinate, so she resuses to give up and give satisfaction to all the people who said the worst about Harry Bingham. Funny to remember that Cassandra always told her that stupid people should not be allowed to hinder her goals and Allie always thought that this was an excuse for her sister to act bossy whenever she wanted, but Cassandra most of the time gives good advices.

*

The rest of the week goes by without Allie and Harry exchanging words. Surprisingly, he seemed embarrassed and afraid to text her, so he decided to let things happen in her own pace. And Allie decided to take a break and allow herself to be upset. Of course, they saw each other in the halls and in some classes, but it's not as if they were glued to their hips before all this and Allie preferred to keep her distance and avoid contact.  
However, on Sunday night Allie sent a message to Harry asking if they could meet at the library the next day and he was quick to answer a simple yes. She didn't show up for football practice after class, which left Jim confused but he decided not to ask questions, so decided to already wait in the library to make good use of time alone. When the clock approached four-thirty in the afternoon, Harry opened the library doors and walked over to the usual study table.  
"Hi."  
"Hi. How was the training?" He seemed surprised by the question, but responded by avoiding direct eye contact. Allie cannot help but notice that today he decided to sit across the table, facing her, contrary to the usual where he sat beside her; As if he was trying to keep his distance. “Look, you don't have to be stepping on eggs near me. I am not twelve years old. ”  
Harry looked up to face her after her unusual statement. "Excuse me. I feel like I made you angry because of last week. ” He had the same carefree stance, but something in the tone of his voice made him look concerned. "I don't want you to think I was spying on you and taking care of your life."  
"It would not be the first time." Her answer was sarcastic, but Harry didn't smile when he heard it. "Harry, I'm not mad at you, just disappointed, but part of it is my fault for creating expectations, so please stop."  
He nodded in agreement, but something about his features said he wasn't happy with the last part of her sentence, so he just sighed and asked her where they left off last week.  
The mood was still heavy, but Allie decided to ignore and act normally. Over time, Harry's posture also returned to normal, although something in the way he spoke and acted around her still seemed cautious. When it was ten minutes before the clock struck six, they finished studying and left the library. Before she could move away, Harry grabbed her by the elbow.  
"Really, I'm sorry."  
Allie studied his face and something seemed strangely genuine in his apology, so she just waited a few seconds before answering that it was okay, giving an excuse to leave soon and pressed her lips together in an attempt to offered a smile, though she still looked uneasy.

*

"And when I was leaving class, this very handsome boy from my anatomy class asked me for coffee and I accepted."  
"Cute?"  
"I'll send you a picture of him later."  
Cassandra and Allie had been on the phone talking for hours, which was not atypical, but it was a Tuesday night and their mother was knocking on the door telling them to sleep, as if they were still children having a pajama party.  
"And how are things, you know, between you and Will?"  
"There is no me and Will."  
Cassandra sighed loudly on the line, which made Allie laugh even though she was about to hear a lot from her sister. "You can't keep running away forever."  
"If I run away, it can't reach me."  
"Poor Will."  
“Why do people keep saying that? I am not the Evil Queen. Since you're so interested, why don't you help me think about how to tell Will that I really don't feel like him? ”  
And then Cassandra began a complete lecture about mastering her own feelings and statements, about how Allie should take the courage to tell him the truth once and for all and many other things that she was already aware of. Allie soothes her sister by saying that she will do it soon, but not without a big warning from Cassandra about when this "soon" would be.  
"I'm going to have to hang up, Cass, if not Mum shows up here again and throws the phone out the window."  
“Okay, we'll see you later. I love you."  
"I love you too, bye."  
Allie did not leave her cell phone after hanging up and decided to text Will. It was late but she found out that if she didn't do it now, she would probably lose heart. She opened his contact and started typing. She typed and erased again and again, hating the way she was writing, whether it sounded too rude or too melodramatic, until a message from Will himself appeared.

**you've been "writing" for hours. are you ok?**

Allie froze while reading the message, with no idea how to reply. She thought about sending an audio, but after thinking too much she decided she shouldn't say anything by message.

**i was writing about a book that i read and i think you would like**

She sent the answer and cringed at the same time because that was the shitiest answer of all, but she hopes Will will believe it.

**oh cool… what's the name?**

She sighed with relief when she read the reply and then answered it with any name from the books that Cassandra recommended before dismissing him with the excuse that it was late. Allie gave up on her cell phone before she went crazy the same night and decided to go to sleep.

*

On Wednesday, Allie got late so when she arrived at the library, Harry was already there waiting for her. He was sitting lazily in the chair with his eyes focused on his cellphone. She hated how good he looked wearing those tacky boat shoes, button shoes and and even with his pants hem poorly bent.

“Sorry for the wait. Got stuck at Becca’s helping her with some stuff.”

“It’s fine.”

“I’m so tired, can’t wait for spring break and doing fucking nothing.” She dropped her bag roughly on the table, causing a loud noise followed by a whisper scold from the librarian. “You planning a trip?”

“A weekend jaunt to the coast.”

“Hmm, yeah, I don’t blame you. It’s a nice town, but it can get old pretty fast.” 

“My family has a place in the Hamptons, so we’re heading there to spend the break.” Harry said nonchalantly like it was nothing. He’s rich and knows it, but doesn’t make a big deal out of it, never bragging about it. And Allie kind of appreciates how he’s a rich guy, but not a rich guy stereotype. “And you?”

“My parents will be visiting my aunt in Seattle, so I think I’m going to visit Cassandra for a few days.”

Harry didn’t seem happy about the response, but she didn’t expect him to be excited about this particular answer. He was fully aware of Cassandra’s feelings towards him and didn’t seem to care about it, but Allie wasn’t going to be in the middle of the two of them. In fact, Harry looks indifferent when it comes to the feud in comparison to her sister who can be very uptight about her feelings.

“Good.” It was his only answer for a few minutes, then while Allie was organizing her study notebook Harry seemed bothered, or even nervous. As if he was anxious to do something, and then he broke the silence. “Are you and that guy, Will, you know… dating?”

She stared at him in disbelief and confusion for a few seconds and realized she was taking too long to answer. “No, no. Will and I are just friends.”

_ “Oh.  _ Alright. _ ” _

Allie wished she could control her curiosity, but the reason behind that question was really driving her crazy. “Why did you ask that?”

It was his time to take a while to respond and Harry didn’t seem to have a proper answer. He just shrugged and continued swinging a pen around his fingers. “I don’t know, just curious about it.”

She wasn’t satisfied to hear that, but it wasn’t the first time she heard that question so she decided to ignore it.

Harry carried the whole session at a comfortable silence, while she was focused on the words in front of her. By the end, she was ready to just go home and eat something.

“Hey, do you want to go somewhere to eat?”

“You asking me?” She turned around to look at the smile he had in his face.

“Only if you want to.”

Allie thought about a thousand ways this could’ve gone wrong, a million possibilities of disaster. But Harry Bingham was asking her out in a mild afternoon, him playing with the car keys around his fingers and wearing a blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up while staring at her with his brown eyes.

“Alright.”

*

She didn’t ask where they were going and she really didn’t mind it. Allie simply stared out the window, watching the blue sky with a few orange-pink clouds painting the landscape as Harry drove to somewhere she didn’t know. She was fully aware of sitting in Harry’s car, but for a brief moment nothing really mattered and she didn’t have the patience to overthink at the moment. A hot boy asked her out, so she said yes. Allie knew it wasn’t serious, however the simple impression of being in that car gave her a sense of freedom, even for a brief moment.

Harry ended up driving to a retro diner in a town a few miles from West Ham. It was a cute Riverdale-styled diner, like the one in the show. They sat at a table by the window and she remembered being here a few years ago with her parents. 

“This place is nice.”

“Yeah, my dad and I used to come every day when I was a kid.” A seventies song was playing on the speakers while they’re talking, which made Allie smile because it reminded her of the songs her grandfather used to hear at his house.

“And you still come here often?”

“I still do. My dad doesn’t have the time anymore.” There was something sad and wistful about that phrase and his tone, but Allie didn’t know enough about Harry’s relationship with Henry to say something.

“And now you bring girls here.”

“Only the cute ones.” It was a stupid, corny thing to say and they were both aware about, but Harry knew how to say the dumb things in a charming way. Allie blushed and he gave a little smile, so she turned her head to look at the window.

The comfortable awkward lasted only a few little seconds until the waitress arrived at their table, asking what their orders would be. Harry ordered his food in a heartbeat, then the waitress turned around to Allie while waiting to note her orders. She ran a hand through her hand, clumsy, not knowing what to order. “Same as his.”

The waitress walked away, leaving them alone together again. Harry was resting his arms and Allie felt the urge of saying something, but he was quicker. “So, are we just going to stare at each other now?”

“You’re good at this stuff, say something.”

“You’re the one starting the talk, Pressman.”

She sighed, resting her back on the sofa behind her while he looked at her across the table. “What was your first impression of me?”

“God, Pressman.” It was his turn to sight, but at the same time smiling. Harry ran his hand through his hair as he thought about it. “I think we kind of know each other forever, so I don’t know.”

“You’re not making this easy.”

“Alright, let me see. I guess you were eight or something like that, and you were competing in a pageant that was happening in town. There was a costume category, you were wearing a Tinker Bell costume, with wings and glitter. You looked cute and my first impression of you was that you looked like a fairy.”

Allie was surprised about the story, the amount of details and how vividly he remembered everything. It was a sweet story that made her smile a lot more than she should. 

“Your turn now. Same question.”

“My first impression was that you were an asshole.”

“Bullshit.” Despite his fake anger, they were both laughing at each other.

“I honestly don’t remember either. I remember a little about you in kindergarten, you were always playing around and running, so I thought you looked fun.”

“I told you this beautiful and lovely story about you and you just tell me I looked like a brat?” Harry raised his eyebrows in disbelief, playing hurted and Allie rolled her eyes at him

“I didn’t say that, you’re jumping into conclusions right now. But I told the truth and you and I both know it.”

“God, I think you were right. Remember when I accidentally dropped a gum in Cassandra’s hair? I thought she wanted to kill me.”

“She did want to kill you and we thought you put that gum in her hair on purpose.” She was having a good time around him, she can’t lie. It seemed so easier to talk and laugh with Harry.

“It was an accident, but on the good side, she got a nice haircut after.”

“You’re unbelievable.”

Just as they stopped laughing, thousands of childhood memories came to Allie’s mind, a lot of them being about or with Harry in it. They kind of grew up together, being the same age in a small town, therefore she can recall several moments of her life with him in the background. The waitress came back with their orders and as they were eating many stories about them as kids came up in the conversation.

Allie didn’t even realise the time passing as long as they’re laughing at stories about their lives at West Ham. It was almost six when she looked at her phone and noticed how late it was, so Harry asked for the bill, didn’t let her pay and entered the car again. The sky was now turning dark, at the moment when night and day melt together as one. Frank Ocean was playing on the radio and the windows were open; Harry’s eyes on the road and Allie focused on the sky as the music filled the car. Suddenly, they’re in front of her house with headlights on. Harry turned off the car and his hands were at the steering wheel imitating the beat of the song.

“Today was nice.” It was the only thing she said.

“See you soon, Pressman.”

“Bye, Harry.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> twitter @perzcyjackson and tumblr @shitpercy

**Author's Note:**

> hope you liked it!
> 
> i'm going to try to update this weekly or something like that because i'm still writing it and other hallie fics that are in-progress (maybe coming soon.)
> 
> my twitter is @perzcyjackson and my tumblr is @shitpercy


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